NEW YORK, NY — The Archdiocese of New York has announced a $300 million fund dedicated to compensating victims of clergy sexual abuse who have filed lawsuits against the church.
The sweeping plan, revealed earlier today, aims to cover settlements for the vast majority of the approximately 1,300 outstanding claims currently lodged against the archdiocese. A spokesperson indicated the fund is designed to resolve “most, if not all,” of these long-pending cases.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan confirmed the archdiocese intends to finance the substantial fund through a combination of measures: reducing its annual operating budget and selling off various assets. A key component of this financing strategy is the anticipated sale of the archdiocese’s former headquarters in Manhattan.
The announcement places New York among the largest financial settlements reached by a Catholic diocese in the U.S. in recent years, signaling a continuing effort by the Church to address the decades-long crisis of abuse.
The news comes on the heels of another significant development in abuse litigation. On Monday, a federal judge officially approved a separate settlement for the New Orleans Archdiocese to pay $230 million to hundreds of clergy sexual abuse victims, underscoring the ongoing national legal and financial reckoning facing the Catholic Church.
